Note: This review covers adult content not appropriate for children.

THE SESSIONS (Rated R)

The big movie of the week is “Cloud Atlas,” an ambitious and dazzling epic spanning five centuries that explores questions about life and the human condition.
 
Six separate stories unfold in multiple timelines, where characters meet and reunite from one life to the next.  

The Wachowski siblings, who had teamed as the writers and directors of the “Matrix” trilogy, are part of the creative team for “Cloud Atlas.” That may tell you enough about what to expect.

Now, I lost nearly three hours of my life watching “Cloud Atlas,” which has its undeniable moments of cinematic brilliance, but I could not bring myself to spend time writing about it.

I can see why the film appeals to many critics. They often love films heavy with artistic pretension, mystical qualities and unfathomable storylines.

At this point, I am merely going to pivot to a film that is more worthy of critical acclaim, even if its audience appeal may be relatively limited.

“The Sessions” also has scored well with film critics, but for reasons that are easier to digest and comprehend. The acting alone is superb and transformative, but the story is very moving.

Based on the autobiographical writings of California poet and journalist Mark O’Brien, “The Sessions” tells the story of a man who lived most of his life in an iron lung and was determined, at age 38, to lose his virginity.

To that end, the film is based on O’Brien’s article, “On Seeing a Sex Surrogate,” which recounts his resolve to experience the emotional and physical pleasures that had eluded him.

In a role that is challenging, similar to what Daniel Day-Lewis experienced in “My Left Foot,” actor John Hawkes delivers an impressively transformative performance of Mark O’Brien, who is unable to move any part of his body below his neck.

That Mark can only move his head from side to side, using his mouth to hold a stylus for typing and dialing the telephone, has not curbed his ambition to live life to the fullest.

Stricken with polio at the age of 6, Mark can only stay outside of his iron lung for a few hours a day. He managed to graduate from UC Berkeley. A practicing Catholic, he also attends mass regularly.

His religious conviction is important. He confesses to his priest (William H. Macy) that he has had no luck in the conventional approach to love, but he wants to consult a sex surrogate who helps the disabled.

The role of parish priest Father Brendan is apparently a composite figure of several priests that Mark O’Brien consulted as he grappled in his angst over the moral predicament of his virginity.

Enter Cheryl Cohen-Greene (Helen Hunt), a sex therapist who approaches the assignment with Mark from a professional clinical perspective.  

Right up front, Cheryl sets boundaries by telling Mark there will only be six sessions and that the objective is for her client to be able to sustain sexual activity in a normal relationship.  

It may seem a bit awkward, but Mark relies on his attendant Vera (Moon Bloodgood) to escort him to his “sessions” with Cheryl.  

What seems even more discomfiting is that Helen Hunt bares her entire body to fulfill her task. We’re talking full frontal nudity that you just don’t see in mainstream movies.

But Hunt handles her nudity with dignity and grace. There’s no real element of tawdry prurience in play. Hunt’s Cheryl is believable as the dedicated sex therapist.

When sex enters into any relationship, it is not easy to keep feelings at bay. A bond of comfort and compassion forms between Mark and Cheryl. A glimpse into Cheryl’s private life informs that the whole therapy business is, at best, tricky.

The movie belongs to John Hawkes, as much is asked of him to play a disabled character in a physically difficult and challenging role, even though he is an actor of remarkable versatility.

Filled with humor, drama and emotion, “The Sessions” is a brilliant film that is not only entertaining, but demands our attention to the inspiration of the indomitable spirit of Mark O’Brien.

“The Sessions” is a likely contender for Oscar consideration in several categories, and deservedly so.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Just recently, this space was celebrating the trend of releasing on DVD classic TV series that are either long forgotten or unfamiliar to younger audiences.

Vintage detective series are usually a lot of fun. This is no less true for the iconic character of Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens), a handsome, suave detective tough enough to take on the hardest of hard cases.

Though some episodes of “Peter Gunn” have appeared on DVD in the past, now the complete collection of all 114 original episodes are being released as “Peter Gunn: The Complete Series.”

From his unofficial office at the smoke-filled jazz club “Mother’s,” private eye Gunn keeps an eye on the colorful cast of patrons, including his gorgeous girlfriend Edie Hart (Lola Albright).

Gunn’s girl is a singer at the jazz club, which draws musicians, pool hustlers, con artists and other characters, some unsavory.

Despite his stiff standard fee, Gunn’s reputation keeps the customers lined up for his services, some of them even referred by his police buddy Lt. Jacoby (Herschel Bernardi).

“Peter Gunn,” just like the classic TV series “Mr. Lucky,” was created by Blake Edwards, with the music scored by Henry Mancini.

The Emmy-nominated series ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. Any fan of detective series and classic TV will want to own “Peter Gunn: The Complete Series.” 

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Director John Tomlinson and New Vintage Productions will present the play “The Importance of Being Earnest” in November.

The Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum’s Weaver Auditorium will host the production, with shows planned for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2; Saturday, Nov. 3; Friday, Nov. 9; and Saturday, Nov. 10.

Matinée shows are planned for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, and Sunday, Nov. 11.

Since its first production in London in 1895, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” written by Oscar Wilde, has been widely popular with audiences.

Perhaps the greatest satirist of the Victorian era, Wilde regarded Earnest as a “trivial play for serious people.”

“The Importance of Being Earnest” follows the blossoming romances of two proper gentlemen, Algernon Moncreiff and Jack Worthing.

Growing tired of their mundane lifestyles, the two create a series of elaborate lies that lead audiences down a twisted road of conflict and hilarity.

As the story develops you will discover tales of mislaid babies, mistaken identities, secret engagements, baffled suitors and some of the wittiest wordplay ever volleyed over cucumber sandwiches.

Watch as these two young men bend the rules and demands of Victorian Society … until they inevitably succumb to the demands of their true loves, eventually realizing the vital importance of being earnest.

Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased at Solo Comics in Lower Lake, 707-701-6023, and at The Salon at High Street Village in Lakeport, 707-413-7250.

A portion of the proceeds will go to Community Care, providing health services in Lake and Mendocino counties.

The Nov. 4 matinée will be a special actor’s benefit performance; all ticket proceeds will be divided among the cast and crew.

The Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum’s Weaver Auditorium is located at 16435 Morgan Valley Road.

Here’s a delightful poem by Douglas S. Jones about a bicycle rider sharing his bike with a spider.

Jones lives in Michigan and spiders live just about everywhere.

Centrifugal

The spider living in the bike seat has finally spun
its own spokes through the wheels.
I have seen it crawl upside down, armored
black and jigging back to the hollow frame,
have felt the stickiness break
as the tire pulls free the stitches of last night’s sewing.
We’ve ridden this bike together for a week now,
two legs in gyre by daylight, and at night,
the eight converting gears into looms, handle bars
into sails. This is how it is to be part of a cycle—
to be always in motion, and to be always
woven to something else.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2011 by Douglas S. Jones, whose most recent book of poems is the chapbook No Turning East, Pudding House Press, 2011. Poem reprinted from The Pinch, Vol. 31, no. 2, 2011, by permission of Douglas S. Jones and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2012 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

ARGO (Rated R)

Based on real events, “Argo” is a dramatic thriller that chronicles the life-or-death covert rescue operation of six Americans trapped in Tehran after the fall of the Shah.

On Nov. 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution that installed Ayatollah Khomeini in power grew intense, militants stormed the U.S. Embassy, taking 52 Americans hostage. Wow, talk about shades of recent terrorist activity against Americans in Libya; this movie is topical.

Those old enough to be familiar with the Jimmy Carter years will certainly remember this day of infamy, and the long, slow ordeal that ensued for well over a year afterwards.

What people are most likely to recollect, aside from the horror of an ongoing hostage saga, is the failed rescue attempt made by Army helicopters that crashed in the Iranian desert.

Much less well-known is how six Americans at the Embassy managed, in the midst of turmoil and chaos, to slip away and eventually find refuge in the home of Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).

The presence of the Americans at the Canadian official diplomatic residence posed great danger for the guests as well as the host government. The insane militants, if not the brutal Iranian regime, would likely execute all of them as spies.

From the very moment the U.S. compound is under assault, the tension is palpable and frightening. Embassy staff scurries to shred sensitive documents, even as they are petrified for their own safety.

Back home in Washington, CIA officials ponder how to save the stranded six house guests. Enter CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), an expert at extricating sensitive people from the world’s hot spots, including Iran.

Needing approval from his direct superior, Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston), Mendez starts kicking around ideas for extraction, quickly dismissing impractical schemes like having everyone ride a bike 400 miles to the border.

Having worked with Hollywood makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) on other CIA missions, Mendez hits upon the idea of fabricating the cover story of a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a tacky sci-fi film.

To make the idea work, Mendez recruits veteran producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) to produce a fake movie that Siegel claims will have “to be a fake hit.”

Though the Siegel character is a composite of several Hollywood producers and moguls, Arkin brings to the role an outrageously funny perspective on the art of staging the cheesiest conceivable film.

The ruse won’t fly unless Mendez and his Hollywood buddies create a believable backstory for the bogus film production. They find a script for a film with the titular name of “Argo” and put together a production team.

The producers go so far as to design posters, stage table readings, take out ads in the trade papers and hold a big press conference to launch the film production.

Armed with a new identity as a Canadian film producer, Mendez obtains a visa and flies into Tehran to join his “film crew” – the six Americans in hiding.

With little time to enact his plan, Mendez has to coach the Americans in the art of impersonating key personnel of a film crew convincingly enough to get past the Revolutionary Guards handling security at the airport.

Working with the American government workers is not an easy task. They are naturally dubious about a mission that sounds too fanciful and off-the-wall. One or two are almost hostile about the rescue attempt, even after the Canadian government gives them official passports.

“Argo” also deftly recreates the tension and simmering hostilities that infuse the ongoing street demonstrations by crazed militants. The fear of exposure at any moment is a tangible reality for all concerned.

When things get too stressful and tense in Iran, the film wisely cuts away to scenes in Washington and Hollywood, where the frantic activity of secret agents and film moguls brings much needed comic relief.

You have to hand it to Ben Affleck for doing great work in his dual role of focal actor in the grand scheme and directing the entire piece of solid work.

Since “Argo” is a Hollywood production, some liberties are taken with the actual story, but it’s all for the benefit of heightened suspense.

One of the great fabrications is the apprehensive scene at the airport just before boarding, followed by the Iranian guards’ frantic last ditch effort to catch the Americans on the tarmac.

“Argo” is an exciting action thriller that maintains a keen element of surprise even though we know the outcome. This is a real hit based on real events.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

It may sound like a broken record, but I really enjoy the evident trend of releasing classic TV series, some long forgotten, on DVD for new and old generations to enjoy.

“Mr. Lucky,” starring the dashing John Vivyan as a suave professional gambler, lasted one season more than 50 years ago, but was a hit show nonetheless.

Blake Edwards created the show, which featured the excellent music of composer Henry Mancini. Edwards and Mancini collaborated on a number of films.

In the stylish adventure-crime series “Mr. Lucky,” Vivyan’s Mr. Lucky was teamed with his good friend Andamo (Ross Martin) running a successful casino in Andamo’s homeland of Chobolbo.

After a brush with the country’s corrupt dictator, they lose everything when Andamo is discovered running guns to the rebels in Mr. Lucky’s yacht, Fortuna.

Their fortunes take a turn for the better when Lucky wins enough money gambling to buy another yacht, which he christens Fortuna II.

Lucky and Andamo turn the yacht into a floating casino, and then an upscale restaurant, anchored in international waters off the American coast.

“Mr. Lucky: The Complete Series” finds plenty of adventure for the duo when the yacht brings them into contact with numerous criminals and people hiding from criminals.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

UKIAH, Calif. – Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. marks the opening of the Friends of the Mendocino College fall reading series with a reading and talk by author Waights Taylor Jr.

His book, “Our Southern Home,” was awarded the 2012 Independent Publisher Silver Medal for Best Book in the Southeast Non-Fiction category in New York City this past summer.

One reviewer has likened Taylor’s writing to “Faulkner’s sociological and moral discontinuity and the author’s southern voice by cadence and phrasing reminding me of Shelby Foote and his cousin Horton.”

This nonfiction work deals with three 18-year-old southerners who start the day of March 25, 1931, not knowing that the events soon to occur in Scottsboro, Alabama, will lead them and the South on an inexorable journey of change: Clarence Norris is boarding a freight train as a hobo in Chattanooga; Waights Taylor Sr. is a student at the University of Alabama; Rosa McCauley Parks is a resident of Pine Level, Alabama.

The three become involved in the Scottsboro events in different ways with profound implications to the region and their lives.

Waights Taylor Jr., born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, currently lives in Santa Rosa, Calif.

His professional career included 24 years in the aviation industry and then 22 years in management consulting.

When his professional career was coming to an end, he turned to writing. He is an author, a poet, and a playwright.

His second book, “Our Southern Home: Scottsboro to Montgomery to Birmingham – The Transformation of the South in the Twentieth Century,” was published in October 2011.

This reading will be conducted as an “In conversation” type of appearance where questions by Mendocino College Head Librarian John Koetzner will be responded to by Waights Taylor Jr. which will elicit readings from different sections of his book.

The event will take place in Room 4210 in the new library building at the Mendocino College Ukiah campus, and it is sponsored by the Friends of the Mendocino College Library, an affiliate group of the Mendocino College Foundation. For more information, call 707-468-3051 or visit www.mendocino.edu .

A Kansas poet, Wyatt Townley has written a number of fine poems about the swift and relentless passage of time, one of the great themes of the world’s poetry, and I especially like this one.

Finding the Scarf

The woods are the book
we read over and over as children.
Now trees lie at angles, felled
by lightning, torn by tornados,
silvered trunks turning back

to earth. Late November light
slants through the oaks
as our small parade, father, mother, child,
shushes along, the wind searching treetops
for the last leaf. Childhood lies

on the forest floor, not evergreen
but oaken, its branches latched
to a graying sky. Here is the scarf
we left years ago like a bookmark,

meaning to return the next day,
having just turned our heads
toward a noise in the bushes,
toward the dinnerbell in the distance,

toward what we knew and did not know
we knew, in the spreading twilight
that returns changed to a changed place.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2007 by Wyatt Townley from her most recent book of poems, The Afterlives of Trees, Woodley Press, 2011. Poem reprinted by permission of Wyatt Townley and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2012 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.